Magnetically operated snap-over mechanism for cyclometer registers



Oct. 13, 1964 R. H. WOLFENDEN 3,

MAGNETICALLY OPERATED SNAP-OVER MECHANISM FOR CYCLOMETERREGISTERS Filed Aug. 15, 1961 United States Patent MAGNETICALLY OPERATED SNAP-OVER MECH- ANISM FOR CYCLOMETER REGISTERS Ronald Harcourt Wolfenden, Bangor, North Walesf This invention relates to cyclometer registers. Counting register for cyclometers normally have a series of divisioned wheels or rollers provided with characters in the form of numbers on their peripheral faces and geared together by small pinion-s such that for each revolution of each roller the succeeding or higher denomination roller is advanced by one division. The higher denomination or driven roller is however advanced at the same speed as the driver roller in normal operation and this is known as a creeping figure cyclometer. Cyclometer registers have also been proposed wherein succeeding rollers are advanced instantaneously by falling weights. Such registers are referred to as jumping figure or impulse type registers. 1

According to the present invention there is provided a cyclometer register having a series of charactered rollers mounted in a frame, each character designating a division, comprising .a single stationary magnet on the frame and a magnet mounted directly on each of a pluadvanced simultaneously by one division through gearing.-

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to theaccompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a cyclometer register according to the invention,

FIGURE 2 is an exploded view'of the rollers of the register, and

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of one of the rollers.

Referring to the drawings, a cyclometer register-comprises a frame 3 within which is mounted a series of number wheels or rollers 4 on a central shaft 5, each roller having numbers from 0 to 9 on their peripheral faces. Each roller, apart from the roller 4a, which is of lowest denomination, is provided with teeth 6 on its face nearer its neighbouring lower denomination roller and the teeth 6 of each roller 4' are in mesh with one of a series of intermediate pinions 7, freely mounted on a separate shaft 8. Each roller 4 also has projections 9 on its face nearer the adjacent roller 4 of higher denomination and these projections 9 are located so that they contact once during each revolution the teeth of the adjacent intermediate pinion 7 which is permanently in mesh with the teeth 6'of the adjacent roller 4 of higher denomination. For each roller 4 this contact of a pinion 7 by the projections 9 takes place as the lower denomination roller 4 as seen through a window 10 in the frame 3 moves from 9 to 0 during each revolution and as it does so the adjacent roller 4 of higher denomination is advanced by one division through the gearing. The roller of lowest denomination 4a has an eccentric laterally extending driving pin 11 which projects through an elongated'slot 12 extending over an arc of at least 36 in a driving wheel 13 freely mounted on the central shaft of the register- A permanent magnetic strip 14 is located on the register frame3. The strip 14 which is fitted adjacent the ally within each roller 4b and 4c.

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periphery of the rollers 4, runs the length of their axes and is magnetised with a flux normal to the radius of the rollers. Small permanent magnets 15 are fitted radi- In operation of the register, the driving wheel 13 is driven through gearing (not shown) and by means of the driving pin 11 abutting against the trailing end of the slot 12 in the driving wheel 13 the lowest denomina tion roller 4a is rotated; When the numeral 9 on the roller 4a shows in the window 10, the frame magnet 14 attracts the small magnet 15 on the roller 4a and advances it instantaneously to 0. As this'occurs the projection 9 on the lowest denomination roller 4a contacts a tooth of its intermediate pinion 7 which advances the adjacent roller 4b of higher denomination instan taneously through one division. A similar action takes place for the higher denomiation rollers i.e. they are advanced instantaneously by one division whenthe adjacent lower denomination 'roller'moves from 9 to 0. As the lowest denomination roller 4a is advanced by the magnets 14 and 15, the drive between the slot 12 in the driving wheel 13 and the driving pin 11 is lost until the driving wheel catches up.

When the situation occurs that the rollers 4a, 4b and 4c are each moving from 9 to 0 simultaneously, each of themagnets 15 on the rollers 4a, 4b and 4c are attracted simultaneously by the magnet 14. In this way the energy required to advance all the rollers simultaneously from 9 to 0 is distributed by the use of a small amount of magnetic material within a number of rollers. These small independent forces are additive when all the rollers are changing but the retarding forces never occur together. This is of great importance in minimising the frictional load on the meter to which the register is connected.

As an alternative to the above, the polarity of the strip magnet 14 and roller magnets 15 may be such that they repel instead of attract each other. In this case the roller magnets 15 are oriented through 36 from their attraction location. In this way the repulsion torque is initiated when numeral 9 is showing in the window 10.

It has been found that a bonded barium ferrite magnetic material is suitable for the strip magnet 14 on the register casing and for the small roller magnets 15 since it is very light and has a high coercivity which renders it highly resistant to demagnetisation. If bonded with ceramic the magnets 14 and 15 may be injection moulded into position in the rollersor alternatively the plastic bonded magnets may be cemented into position.

Although in the preferred embodiment described above the three rollers of lowest denomination are provided with magnets, any plurality of the rollers can be so provided.

What is claimed is:

1. A cyclometer register having a series of charactered rollers rotatably mounted in coaxial relation in a frame, each character designating a division, comprising a single stationary magnet on the frame extending substantially parallel to the axes of the rollers adjacent to their peripheries and a magnet mounted directly on each of a plurality of the rollers at a predetermined angular position relative to an index point thereon, said framemounted magnet cooperating with all of said plurality of roller-mounted magnets to provide a magnetic force therebetween to advance each of said rollers rapidly through the last division of each complete revolution when the magnet on each roller is closely adjacent to the stationary magnet, and gearing operated by each roller to simultaneously advance the adjacent roller of higher denomination by one division.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Bakke Feb. 18, 1947 Mendelsohn May 13, 1947 Yeasting Feb. 18, 1950 Clancy Sept. 19, 1961 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,152,758 October 13, 1964 Ronald Harcourt Wolfenden It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

In the grant, lines 2 and 3, for "assignor to Denis Ferranti Meters Limited, of Bangor, North Wales, Great Britain, a British company," read assignor of one-half to Denis Perranti Meters Limited, of Bangor, North Wales, Great Britain, a British company, line 12, for "Denis Ferranti Meters Limited, its successors" read Ronald Harcourt Wolfenden, his heirs or assigns and Denis Ferranti Meters Limited, its successors in the heading to the printed specification, lines 5 and 6, for "assignor to Denis Ferranti Meters Limited, Bangor, North Wales, Great Britain, a British company" read assignor of one-half to Denis Ferranti Meters Limited, Bangor, North Wales, Great Britain, a British company Signed and sealed this 27th day of July 1965.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Patent No. 3,152,758

Ronald Harcourt Wolfenden CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION October 13, 1964 It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

In the grant, lines 2 and 3, for Ferranti Meters Limited, of Bangor,

"assignor to Denis North Wales, Great Britain, a British company," read assignor of one-half t Ferranti Meters Limited, of Bangor, North Wales, a British company, line 12,

sors and 6, for

0 Denis Great Britain, for "Denis Ferranti Meters Limited, its successors" read Ronald Harcourt Wolfenden, his heirs or assigns and Denis Ferranti Meters Limited, its succes- -;I in the headin g to the printed specification, lines 5 "assignor to Denis Ferranti Meters Limited, Bangor, North Wales, Great Britain, a British company" read of one-half to Denis Ferranti Meters Limited Wales, Great Britain, a British company assignor Bangor, North Signed and sealed this 27th day of July 1965.

' (SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER Attesting Officer EDWARD J. BRENNER Commissioner of Patents 

1. A CYCLOMETER REGISTER HAVING A SERIES OF CHARACTERED ROLLERS ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN COAXIAL RELATION IN A FRAME, EACH CHARACTER DESIGNATING A DIVISION, COMPRISING A SINGLE STATIONARY MAGNET ON THE FRAME EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE AXES OF THE ROLLERS ADJACENT TO THEIR PERIPHERIES AND A MAGNET MOUNTED DIRECTLY ON EACH OF A PLURALITY OF THE ROLLERS AT A PREDETERMINED ANGULAR POSITION RELATIVE TO AN INDEX POINT THEREON, SAID FRAMEMOUNTED MAGNET COOPERATING WITH ALL OF SAID PLURALITY OF ROLLER-MOUNTED MAGNETS TO PROVIDE A MAGNETIC FORCE THEREBETWEEN TO ADVANCE EACH OF SAID ROLLERS RAPIDLY THROUGH THE LAST DIVISION OF EACH COMPLETE REVOLUTION WHEN THE MAGNET ON EACH ROLLER IS CLOSELY ADJACENT TO THE STATIONARY MAGNET, AND GEARING OPERATED BY EACH ROLLER TO SIMULTANEOUSLY ADVANCE THE ADJACENT ROLLER OF HIGHER DENOMINATION BY ONE DIVISION. 